Patrick McDonnell on Thanksgiving and Making New Friends

Happy November, everyone! We hope you all had a terrific Halloween and that, no matter where you reside, you’re enjoying whatever delightful autumn treats your surroundings have to offer. Here in New Jersey with Patrick and (most of) the MUTTS team, the air is continuing to cool and the colorful, peak period of fall foliage is just starting to wind down.

Once again, as we welcomed a new month and a new Manifesto (“To make new friends”), I joined MUTTS creator Patrick McDonnell for a quick chat about what adventures—and comforts—lie ahead over the next few weeks.

“Well, first things first,” he says. “In early November I’ll be wrapping up my book tour for Tek: The Modern Cave Boy.The last stop is November 6th in Austin Texas.” As fun and rewarding as the tour’s been, Patrick explains, he does look forward to returning to his home office and drawing table, where he can work on MUTTS in familiar surroundings and spend quality time with family.

“Speaking of family,” I ask, “What are your plans for Thanksgiving dinner? And what’s on the menu?”

He chuckles. “Well, it’s a vegan menu, obviously. My wife and I usually go to my sister’s house; she makes delicious vegan meals. And I think Thanksgiving is a great holiday for vegans anyway, because it’s a time of year when nearly everyone celebrates plant-based foods. I mean, boy, do I love pumpkin pie, all the different kinds of potatoes, broccoli … there are so many great options.”

I pose another family-related question. “So, I heard through the grapevine that you and your wife recently added a new animal pal to the real-life MUTTS gang. True?”

“Yep, we have a new kitten! We found him, along with his mother and two brothers, a few weeks ago at the back of our property. And now, the mother has been through the TNR [Trap-Neuter-Return] program, and the kittens are all successful TNAs [Trap-Neuter-Adopt].”

“Our little guy is healthy, very friendly, super curious … just about as perfect as can be. We don’t have a name for him yet, though. Perhaps our readers could offer some suggestions?”

“Yes!” I agree that asking for input sounds like a terrific idea — so at Patrick’s request, I’ve included pictures of the new kitty below. Readers, if you’d like to help us name this little fella, simply post a comment in the discussion thread at the bottom of the page. We’re looking forward to reading your suggestions!

“The first day we brought him home from the vet.”“He’s adapting easily, as you can see. Just look at that cute face!”

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